Narrative:

I was informed by tower to turn left next intersection. There were 2 intxns on my left that were next to each other. I knew there was an md-80 taxiing into position and holding. I had not flown into this airport before. Which intersection, the taxiway or runway 5/23? I wanted off that runway. I turned at the first one at my left (runway or taxiway, I didn't know). Tower tried to contact me, but my #2 communication was also turned up (I turned it down prior to contacting tower, I don't know how the volume was turned up). Plus, passenger in back started talking. I was thus unable to hear tower's instructions and she was angry because I was delaying the md-80's takeoff. I taxied off of runway 31R, but not past holding bars because I was unsure of what I was supposed to do. I yelled 'shut up!' to the people on board the aircraft and then heard the tower admonishing me for not being past the holding bars. I conferred with my civil air patrol later that day, one a CFI and the other a private pilot. The CFI agreed with me that the tower's instructions were indeed unclr -- which was the runway we were supposed to turn onto and which was the taxiway. I had not flown into this airport before, and I was still unfamiliar with its layout, even though I had studied the airport diagram.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEV FROM CLRNC. THIS PLT DID NOT COMPLETELY CLR THE RWY AS INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR AND THEREFORE DELAYED A DEP.

Narrative: I WAS INFORMED BY TWR TO TURN L NEXT INTXN. THERE WERE 2 INTXNS ON MY L THAT WERE NEXT TO EACH OTHER. I KNEW THERE WAS AN MD-80 TAXIING INTO POS AND HOLDING. I HAD NOT FLOWN INTO THIS ARPT BEFORE. WHICH INTXN, THE TXWY OR RWY 5/23? I WANTED OFF THAT RWY. I TURNED AT THE FIRST ONE AT MY L (RWY OR TXWY, I DIDN'T KNOW). TWR TRIED TO CONTACT ME, BUT MY #2 COM WAS ALSO TURNED UP (I TURNED IT DOWN PRIOR TO CONTACTING TWR, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE VOLUME WAS TURNED UP). PLUS, PAX IN BACK STARTED TALKING. I WAS THUS UNABLE TO HEAR TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS AND SHE WAS ANGRY BECAUSE I WAS DELAYING THE MD-80'S TKOF. I TAXIED OFF OF RWY 31R, BUT NOT PAST HOLDING BARS BECAUSE I WAS UNSURE OF WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. I YELLED 'SHUT UP!' TO THE PEOPLE ON BOARD THE ACFT AND THEN HEARD THE TWR ADMONISHING ME FOR NOT BEING PAST THE HOLDING BARS. I CONFERRED WITH MY CIVIL AIR PATROL LATER THAT DAY, ONE A CFI AND THE OTHER A PVT PLT. THE CFI AGREED WITH ME THAT THE TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE INDEED UNCLR -- WHICH WAS THE RWY WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TURN ONTO AND WHICH WAS THE TXWY. I HAD NOT FLOWN INTO THIS ARPT BEFORE, AND I WAS STILL UNFAMILIAR WITH ITS LAYOUT, EVEN THOUGH I HAD STUDIED THE ARPT DIAGRAM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.